The present invention relates to an improved modular fishing weight and in particular to a bottom bouncer type sinker wherein a wire formed support is adapted to accept weights of different sizes and provide a double shouldered line-attachment bend.
Fishing weights or sinkers can comprise any device or item that can be attached to a fishing line to submerse further attached hook(s), artificial and/or live bait. Most weights designed for attachment to a fish line are molded or formed from lead, bismuth, steel or another dense, non-corroding, economical materials that are not buoyant in water (i.e. have a specific gravity greater than that of the fish containing water).
Wide varieties of special purpose fishing sinkers have been developed for salt and fresh water fishing with differing shapes and some of which include cast apertures, channels or eyelets. Some sinkers include accessory pieces (e.g. a formed wire) that attach to or are molded into the sinker. Freshwater sinkers outfitted with wire supports are commonly referred to as “bottom bouncers”. Of the former types, so called “egg” type sinkers provide a longitudinal bore that allows the sinker to slide on a support line.
Of the latter type, bottom bouncer sinkers provide an eye or eyelet at a bent wire support to receive a fish line. A weight or ballast member molded to the wire weights the sinker and a portion of the wire typically extends in a fashion to prevent or minimize snagging. The weight is normally rigidly molded to the wire support. Some exemplary sinkers with wire supports are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,589,715; 3,137,962; 4,161,838; 4,428,144; 4,750,289; 5,253,447; D274,081 and published application 2001/0005954.
Bottom bouncers find particular appeal to fisherpersons who troll live bait spinner rigs, artificial baits and the like either while drifting or under power. Ideally and depending upon the boat speed, the wire support contacts the bed of the body of water and supports the weight above the bottom as an attached fishing line and bait is suspended above the bottom. The wire form permits the sinker to slide along the bottom or glide above the bottom which minimizes snagging of associate rocks, wood, debris and fauna found growing from the lake, stream, river or ocean bed. The suspended hook and live bait or artificial bait secured to the fish line is thereby positioned to facilitate and optimize hook-up with a striking fish.
Some bottom bouncers are supported to slide along a fish line in the fashion of a “lindy rig” and cooperate with stops (e.g. knots, split shot, pegs) secured to the line or sinker to restrict sinker movement or permit line movement upon detecting a fish bite, placing a fishing reel in a free spool condition and allowing the sinker to settle to the bottom. In the latter condition and after a fish takes the bait and hook, the line is released to a “free spool” condition to allow the fish to move freely without the drag of the sinker.
Some bottom bouncers also provide constructions that permit weight movement along the wire support or permit the changing of the amount of weight secured to the wire support. U.S. Pat. No. 2,589,715 provides fore and aft set screw pieces that secure detachable intermediate weight pieces to a wire support. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,750,289 and 5,253,447 provide wire supports with latch arms that detachably secure a desired number or several weight pieces or sinkers of preferred sizes to the wire support along side the latch arm.
The present invention provides a novel, improved “bottom bouncer” type sinker wherein a weight supporting arm of a wire support is shaped to interact with a recess or aperture at a weight piece to detachably secure the weight piece to the wire support arm. In one form, an offset, U-shaped or other appropriate shaped bend is provided at the weight support arm that cooperates with a slot and depression in a weight piece to permit the arm to be deflected to interlock or release the bend from the weight piece.
A molded latch or lock piece is separately mounted to slide along the wire support arm to interlock with the weight piece (e.g. a bore) to prevent detachment of the weight piece. The lock piece includes a restraint piece or is formed to provide a surface or bore of slightly smaller diameter than the wire arm to tightly grip, yet slide along the wire arm. The wire support arm(s) can independently support other fish attractors such as a rattle chamber or slide clevis, among other accessory pieces. Alternative bottom bouncer sinker configurations can provide luminous materials or devices, rattle pieces or ballast materials within the weighted body piece and/or provide a slide connector that mounts to a fish line.